Interview with Bryce Dallas Howard

Don’t let her serene energy and stunning looks fool you — Bryce Dallas Howard knows how to go for the jugular. “I had to get in touch with my animal instincts,” says the 29-year-old actress about taking over the pivotal role of Victoria, the villainous vampire out for heroine Bella’s blood in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. “At one point, I was actually working out in my head, ‘How would you physically suck blood from someone’s neck? Would you take a breath first? Would you open up your throat to drink?’” Before heading to the theater on June 30 to see exactly how Victoria goes about hunting her prey this time, get to know the actress who brings her to life. Here, Howard — photographed exclusively for LIFE by editor-at-large Jeff Vespa — opens up about stepping into the high-profile franchise, branching out into other aspects of Hollywood (just like her famous dad, Ron), and becoming very good at playing bad.